This I feel goes without saying, but meal prep really helps during the week… and who doesn’t love shredded chicken? I do a roast chicken most Sundays for dinner, but the kids prefer it shredded to put in tacos and lettuce boats. It’s simply smart food prep for the week as well and makes weekday lunches easy.
I try to find pastured heirloom chickens. Cook’s Venture and Mary’s are my favorites but there are some other really good regenerative farms out there such as Force of Nature, which also has ancestral blend ground meats which are a nose to tail grind. Non-pastured chickens carry a higher rate of viruses statistically are correlated with obesity. Pastured chickens also just taste better and have better nutritional values, and as satiety is certainly a factor when sitting down to a meal; eating food that tastes good and is deeply enjoyable often prevents over-eating.
All that being said, here is a K.I.S. in the kitchen staple. “Keep it simple.”
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instructions
- place rack in the bottom of the instant pot and add 1-2 cups water
- Rinse pastured chicken and place in pot. Brush with ghee, duck or chicken fat, or refined coconut oil. Alternatively you can use a pack of chicken breasts and thighs.
- Season with pink salt and herbs. I like to use thyme, oregano or rosemary.
- Cook the chicken for 6 minutes per pound and allow a 15-minute natural pressure release. Releasing the pressure gradually will ensure your chicken is fully cooked through and rested for the juiciest chicken. It also prevents foam from shooting out of the valve. If the chicken is frozen, set the poultry timer for 10 minutes per pound.
- Make sure your chicken fits your instant pot size. A 6 quart instant pot fits up to a 5 lb chicken. An 8 qt pressure cooker is better for the larger sized chickens.
- Press Poultry, set the time, seal the lid and let it be!
- When the pressure has released after cooking, remove the chicken. From here you can either roast in a cast iron pan in the oven to crisp the skin or remove it, remove the meat from the bones and shred the chicken with two forks.
- Save the drippings for broth or gravy and keep the carcass for bone broth.
- Serve with lettuce boats, or alongside a spread for taco night!
